Question About FBI FOIPA

[cavita]

Question for the experts. I recently requested two FBI files and was met with the response that these particular files may have been transferred to NARA, or the National Archives Records Administration. What is the rhyme or reason for this possible transfer as I've never had this happen before.

[Snakes]

Question for the experts. I recently requested two FBI files and was met with the response that these particular files may have been transferred to NARA, or the National Archives Records Administration. What is the rhyme or reason for this possible transfer as I've never had this happen before.

This has happened to me several times. They are old enough that they have been transferred to the National Archives for further preservation. They used to just forward the request to them and they will fill it, but it's been a few years since I've done one that had been transferred. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

If anything, I remember the Archives being less anal about reactions than the FBI

[Antiliar]

Doesn't it cost quite a bit more to go through NARA?

[salvine]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

[Stroccos]

Doesn't it cost quite a bit more to go through NARA?

50 cent a page and long wait times for large files

@ snakes they do go through and redact stuff

[Snakes]

Doesn't it cost quite a bit more to go through NARA?

50 cent a page and long wait times for large files

@ snakes they do go through and redact stuff

They do, but most of the requests that I've received from them weren't that bad. The ones I got did take a while, though. They were small enough that I didn't receive a charge (>100 pages, I think).

[Snakes]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

A fellow records manager!

[Stroccos]

Doesn't it cost quite a bit more to go through NARA?

50 cent a page and long wait times for large files

@ snakes they do go through and redact stuff

They do, but most of the requests that I've received from them weren't that bad. The ones I got did take a while, though. They were small enough that I didn't receive a charge (>100 pages, I think).

Under a 100 you can get fast over 500 Is a large track is 7 years plus wait
I need to correct my self .80 cent a page but they can give you the option to view in person for free

We have some interesting requests in hopefully someone gets them I might not be around

[cavita]

Well this is what I received today - 39 months and $160

[Stroccos]

Well this is what I received today - 39 months and $160

Not to bad , when the bill comes due post it here I bet some people would chip in if there interested in the subject of the file

[funkster]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not necessarily. FOIA requests in some agencies are pretty quick, my guess is the DOJ either drags their feet or get so many requests that it takes a siginifant amount of time. All the originating agency does is inventory their boxes of records and get an accompanying tracking number from NARA, so ideally all the agency has to do is pull a specific box number which NARA sends in a couple of weeks. Of course i dont know how well tracking was done for records from the 50s and 60s or what the FBI's specific retention times are. It of course varies from agency to agency.

[Snakes]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not necessarily. FOIA requests in some agencies are pretty quick, my guess is the DOJ either drags their feet or get so many requests that it takes a siginifant amount of time. All the originating agency does is inventory their boxes of records and get an accompanying tracking number from NARA, so ideally all the agency has to do is pull a specific box number which NARA sends in a couple of weeks. Of course i dont know how well tracking was done for records from the 50s and 60s or what the FBI's specific retention times are. It of course varies from agency to agency.

I have enough in the hopper that I get a decent stream back. The redactions kill me more than the time.

[funkster]

Lol i can imagine.

[gohnjotti]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not necessarily. FOIA requests in some agencies are pretty quick, my guess is the DOJ either drags their feet or get so many requests that it takes a siginifant amount of time. All the originating agency does is inventory their boxes of records and get an accompanying tracking number from NARA, so ideally all the agency has to do is pull a specific box number which NARA sends in a couple of weeks. Of course i dont know how well tracking was done for records from the 50s and 60s or what the FBI's specific retention times are. It of course varies from agency to agency.

I have enough in the hopper that I get a decent stream back. The redactions kill me more than the time.

Have you had success with appeals? I have had some stuff sent back for re-processing after my appeal was accepted but I haven't received the updated files yet. Just wondering if you have bothered with that or if its a waste of time.

[Snakes]

As a lower level employee who worked on record management in my youth, let me caution your expectations. Once the records are retired to NARA, you won't retrieve them within a couple or few years, minimum. FOIA requests work best when the records reside with the agency (and even that is a stretch). The retirement makes them almost unretrievable. Think final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Not necessarily. FOIA requests in some agencies are pretty quick, my guess is the DOJ either drags their feet or get so many requests that it takes a siginifant amount of time. All the originating agency does is inventory their boxes of records and get an accompanying tracking number from NARA, so ideally all the agency has to do is pull a specific box number which NARA sends in a couple of weeks. Of course i dont know how well tracking was done for records from the 50s and 60s or what the FBI's specific retention times are. It of course varies from agency to agency.

I have enough in the hopper that I get a decent stream back. The redactions kill me more than the time.

Have you had success with appeals? I have had some stuff sent back for re-processing after my appeal was accepted but I haven't received the updated files yet. Just wondering if you have bothered with that or if its a waste of time.

I have an open appeal at the moment -- it's still pending decision.